EP 0 895 934 B1, which is owned by the applicant himself, discloses a work station comprising a lifting unit in the case of which a tool lower part and a tool upper part are moved via a common toggle lever mechanism such that, when the tool lower part is lowered, the tool upper part will be raised, and vice versa. The lifting heights of the tools are different. The disclosure solves the problem arising when products extending beyond the sealing plane are conveyed into the sealing station. When packaging troughs which are to be sealed and which contain products extending beyond the sealing plane are fed-in and when sealed packages are conveyed out of the sealing station, the sealing tool upper part is raised and a collision between the product and the sealing tool upper part is avoided.
EP 0 467 069 A1 discloses a thermoform packaging machine in which a tool lower part can be removed laterally from the thermoform packaging machine below the film web. This is done without influencing the film web.
For exchanging tool upper parts in thermoform packaging machines, said tool upper parts are normally raised and exchanged. Tool inserts which are to be exchanged in tool upper parts, e.g., on forming or sealing stations, and part of which is located between the transport chains and the chain guides, respectively, when the thermoform packaging machine is in operation, are raised as a unit with the tool upper part or are removed from the tool upper parts in the direction of production above the film web and exchanged.